Meniscal tissue in the knee may develop a longitudinal, vertical lesion sometimes referred to as a “bucket handle” lesion. It is recognized that such lesions will heal over time if the lesion is closed and stabilized. One known method for repairing a meniscus tear includes making an arthrotomy incision in the knee in order to place a suture into the inner portion of the torn meniscus, through to the outer portion. Another known procedure involves the use of a pair of long needles which contain a suture between them, and placing the two needles through the torn meniscus from the front of the knee joint exiting percutaneously the posterior area of the joint.
Another meniscal repair system, promoted by Bionx Implants, Inc., uses a fastener which is proposed to be inserted arthroscopically. The fastener has a shank, an enlarged head at one end of the shank, and one or more barbs at the other end and/or spaced along the length of the shank. The barbed end of the fastener is tapered to a point. In the Bionx system, the fastener is inserted, pointed end first, into the interior region of the meniscus adjacent to the tear. Insertion is continued until the enlarged head engages meniscal tissue. The length of the shank is selected to extend beyond the opposite side of the meniscus. The barbs are intended to prevent retraction of the fastener so that the meniscal tear is closed and the opposing sides of the tear will heal together.